Don't send it to Omega..

When exactly was the last time you tried that?

All Rolex parts are sold on an exchange basis when dealing with actual RSC's. Anything that is changed (old dials, hands, bezel inserts, etc.) are tossed in a barrel and disposed of every so often. I have a friend who works at a RSC - this is directly from him. I would be interested to know what RSC returned your parts, and what time frame this happened in, as well as what parts they returned.

Cheers, Al

This is the forst time I here this. I never heard that they gave back dials, crowns and bezel inserts. I know some RSCs will give back mechanical components such as gaskets etc...

Every watchmaker has to decide if having access to these parts is worth getting certified by Omega - many get emotional about it because they feel they should not have their experience challenged, or are afraid they won't pass the standards or testing required. But it's simply a business decision and should be looked at in that way. If it was really "putting them out of business" then I suspect they would be taking the needed steps, unless they are about to retire and would not have time to make the money back.

If you have a well equipped shop by modern standards, then the requirements are not particularly onerous. These are machines I use every day (most of them anyway) regardless of the brand I'm working on. I would have most of them if they were required or not, because they provide a higher standard of quality for my business. For the training required, it is free of charge so all you have to do is get there and pay for your hotel. When I went to Omega for training they picked me up each morning, dropped me off each night, and fed me lunch each day. At the end of the 5 days when I received my certificate, I also received $1,100 worth of tools to take home with me.

I am the definition of a small independent watchmaker, as I work alone and do everything myself. If I can do this, anyone can. I'm sure there are legitimate cases where it really doesn't make sense for people to get an account, but most who complain about this are not thinking it through. They are fine with using whatever aftermarket parts they can find, or buying genuine parts off the secondary market at inflated prices, and passing that onto their customers. As an independent I decide what to charge and what to work on - I am not bound by Omega on these things in any way.

For the record I am all for free flow of parts to anyone who wants to buy them. Unfortunately that is not the world we live in, and people whining and wishing for it to go back to the old days are dreaming.

Cheers, Al

I am far from being an insider - I'm just a watchmaker who took the steps to get certified. My only association with Omega is that they sell me parts and tools. Contrary to what you may have heard, Omega does not take over your life when you get a parts account, and you don't become their slave. My day to day interaction with them involves looking up parts on the Extranet, sending an email with an order, and then it show up at my door the next day or the day after. Once a month I pay the bill. That's it.

They may eventually ask me to come to more training - no sign of that yet, and even the training I did go to wasn't something they forced me to do. I chose to go in order to get formal training on servicing co-axial escapement watches, and in the process learned a whole bunch of other unrelated things, both from the instructor and the other watchmakers in attendance. I have always been a believer in continuing education, but I worked in the automotive engineering field for 23 years before becoming a full time watchmaker, so with a new standard to meet every three or six months in that business, it's something I'm used to. In contrast a watchmaker who apprenticed with someone 40 years ago and hasn't taken a formal course since (or ever) may have very different views on this, and I understand that.

Rolex has different requirements to Omega, and requires different equipment in some cases. In Canada, they also require that you are associated with an AD (something that Omega does not require) so there is only 1 AD in my area, who already have a watchmaker they work with. I do service some Rolex watches certainly, but it is not a primary focus in my business. Even if I could get an account with them, I would probably pass. If you think Omega is being brutal, you have no idea...Rolex is far worse and they regularly pull accounts. In fact a kind watchmaker who used to occasionally sell me parts (all done legitimately) lost the account he had for many years not long ago - of course no reason given. Swatch/Omega is a dream to work with compared to Rolex.

Cheers, Al

There is currently some legal action taking place between Swatch and Cousins in the UK. I'm not sure that Cousins will have much luck in this case, but who knows - I'm not a lawyer.

But even if they do win this case, it's only for them to get access to parts, so they can mark them up and sell them to watchmakers. It won't open the door to everyone getting parts, at least not how I understand the action being taken. The only way to get direct access, which certainly has it's benefits, is to get an account directly with Omega. There's no indication that Omega is closing down accounts - in fact they are working to get everyone in the US though the new training regime - I've heard from other watchmakers the backlog is now 2 years to attend.

From my perspective, I don't order from Cousins often, but occasionally I do. I ordered 2 of a specific part late last year, they billed my card for 2, and then the next day credited one back and only shipped me one part. They are rationing parts - a complaint I hear often from those buying from them. This goes down to simple things like case clamps and screws - you have to place 2 orders and pay shipping twice to get 2 case clamps worth $7 each. Communications with them is difficult, if not impossible. If you have an issue with the part, they are not much help and in some cases won't take returns. With other material suppliers like Otto Frei, I have had countless issues with them, even to the point where a promised refund never happened. The supplier I use in Canada has often shipped me incorrect parts (recently they did it twice on the same watch - very frustrating!).

I always advocate buying watches from brands that sell parts. For example I like Sinn watches, have owned some, and serviced quite a few so I have bought some parts from them. However it takes a boatload of patience to do so. For example, back in in 2015 I needed a new dial and hand set for a U1 dive watch. I sent my first email asking for a new dial and hands on Sept. 9, and got zero response from the distributor in the US (who I am forced to order through) so I emailed them on the 25th just to make sure they received my first request. They said they did, and were getting a price for me. Oct. the 8th I received the price - yes took a month just to get back to me with a price. I placed the order and it took another month (Nov. 10th) for the parts to actually be shipped to me, and I received them a few days later. 2 full months to get these parts...amazing.

Now I won't say that Omega doesn't have it's problems, but in comparison as I said I usually get parts within 2 days of placing my order with Omega, and if I have an issue with a defective part, there is someone I can deal with directly to resolve it. Sending back defective parts for credit is easily done, and they will expedite a replacement without issue. In some instances I have had the parts people just send me free parts, like extra spring bars - I order a lot of parts and without asking they just tell me they are sending some extras with my order. One movement holder I bought from them had an upgrade made to it, so they said to send in the old one and they would send a replacement that had the modification. However that one is for servicing Speedmaster Pro movements (321, 861, 1861) and I literally work on one of those every day, so I could not give up the movement holder. I emailed and asked if they would send me a new one, and I would send the old one back - they agreed no problem. I know many watchmakers see Swatch as some sort of evil empire, but they want the people who have accounts and are doing service work to be successful. Again they aren't perfect, but compared to the third party suppliers I've worked with, and other brands I've received parts from, it doesn't get much easier.

I'm not here to defend Omega, even though it might look like it. I'm just saying that in comparison to pretty much every other company or distributor I've worked with or tried to work with, they do a pretty good job. Try getting parts from LVMH or Richemont - not a chance - they won't sell you parts at all. Last week I had a request to service one of Eterna's new Cal. 39 based watches, so I went looking for tech guides and parts access. Not finding any I emailed to company, and after a week they replied to tell me that they require all these to be sent back to the factory. They are developing a training course on these movements, but were not able to give me a time frame, nor tell me if courses will be available in North America...

If you wonder why I service a lot of Omegas, this post should explain that I guess...😀

Cheers, Al

Thanks - it seems this is a local thing specific to your country, or maybe even just that service center.

Cheers, Al